Cancer Communication and User Engagement on Chinese Social Media: Content Analysis and Topic Modeling Study.

BACKGROUND: Cancer ranks among the most serious public health challenges worldwide. In China-the world's most populous country-about one-quarter of the population consists of people with cancer. Social media has become an important platform that the Chinese public uses to express opinions. OBJECTIVE: We investigated cancer-related discussions on the Chinese social media platform Weibo (Sina Corporation) to identify cancer topics that generate the highest levels of user engagement. METHODS: We conducted topic modeling and regression analyses to analyze and visualize cancer-related messages on Weibo and to examine the relationships between different cancer topics and user engagement (ie, the number of retweets, comments, and likes). RESULTS: Our results revealed that cancer communication on Weibo has generally focused on the following six topics: social support, cancer treatment, cancer prevention, women's cancers, smoking and skin cancer, and other topics. Discussions about social support and cancer treatment attracted the highest number of users and received the greatest numbers of retweets, comments, and likes. CONCLUSIONS: Our investigation of cancer-related communication on Weibo provides valuable insights into public concerns about cancer and can help guide the development of health campaigns in social media.

Media Exposure, Cancer Beliefs, and Cancer-Related Information-Seeking or Avoidance Behavior Patterns in China.

This study explored the relationships between media exposure, cancer beliefs, and cancer information-seeking or information-avoidance behaviors. Based on the planned risk information-seeking model and its extended framework, two predictive models were constructed: one for cancer information seeking and the other for cancer information avoidance. A structural equation modeling strategy was applied to survey data from China HINTS 2017 (n = 3090) to compare the impact of traditional mass media and social media exposure to cancer-related information on cancer information-seeking and information-avoidance behaviors. The study findings suggest that health-related information exposure through different media channels may generate distinctive information-seeking or information-avoidance behaviors based on various cancer beliefs. Additionally, the findings indicate that social media exposure to health-related and cancer curability beliefs does not lead to cancer information avoidance; both mass media and social media exposure encourage people to seek cancer-related information. Cancer fatalism is positively associated with cancer information-seeking and avoiding intentions, suggesting that negative cancer beliefs predict seemingly contradictory yet psychologically coherent information intentions and behaviors.

A scoping review of consumer needs for cancer information.

OBJECTIVE: This study was a scoping review of research on cancer-related health information seeking and needs of patients, survivor, non-patients, and caregivers. METHODS: This study used the COSI model to search for articles published from 2007 to 2017. RESULTS: In total, 117 articles with titles and abstracts including the following terms were selected: cancer, health, information, seeking. Non-patients obtained information from the Internet, doctors, and media, whereas patients obtained information from doctors, the Internet, and media. Information needs were the highest for treatment, prognosis, and psychosocial support. Patients had the highest need for information on prognosis and treatment, whereas non-patients had the highest need for general cancer information, prevention, and cancer examination. Caregivers sought information about treatment, psychosocial support, and prevention. CONCLUSION: This study revealed an increase in the number of research articles identifying cancer patients' information needs. Cancer patients rely on health professionals for information; thus, relevant materials are needed. Furthermore, not only medical but also psychosocial support information is needed. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: There is a need for cancer information from health professionals, and thus for patient-centered training materials. Furthermore, a survey system to evaluate consumers' cancer information needs should be developed.

Do videos improve website satisfaction and recall of online cancer-related information in older lung cancer patients?

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of personalized audiovisual information in addition to text on website satisfaction and recall of cancer-related online information in older lung cancer patients. METHODS: An experiment using a 3 (condition: text only vs. text with nonpersonalized video vs. text with personalized video) by 2 (age patient: younger [<65 yrs] vs. older [≥65 yrs]) between-subjects factorial design was conducted. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the three information conditions stratified by age group. RESULTS: Patients were more satisfied with the comprehensibility, attractiveness, and the emotional support from the website when information was presented as text with personalized video compared to text only. Text with personalized video also outperformed text with nonpersonalized video regarding emotional support from the website. Furthermore, text with video improved patients' recall of cancer-related information as compared to text only. Older patients recalled less information correctly than younger patients, except when we controlled for Internet use. CONCLUSION: Text with personalized audiovisual information can enhance website satisfaction and information recall. Internet use plays an important role in explaining recall of information. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study can be used to develop effective health communication materials for cancer patients.